Transportation Equity and Environmental Justice

Connecticut Department of Transportation

An accessible and reliable transportation system is essential in determining where we live, work, and go to school. It plays a fundamental role in shaping human interaction, mobility, and sustainability. Transportation provides access to opportunities and serves as a key component in addressing poverty, unemployment, and equity while ensuring access to education, healthcare, and other public services.

Historically many individuals and communities, including people of color, people with low incomes, and people with limited English proficiency (LEP), have not benefited equitably from transportation investments and programs. In some cases, transportation projects and investments have had adverse effects on the quality of life in these communities, such as increasing pollution or physically bisecting them. The benefits and costs of transportation investments have often been distributed inequitably, with communities that are historically underserved bearing a higher share of the burdens of the transportation system and lower share of the benefits. For this reason, the Connecticut Department of Transportation (CTDOT) is committed to ensuring environmental justice is addressed throughout the planning, design, construction, operations, and maintenance of projects across all travel modes. It does so by identifying and addressing disproportionately high and adverse effects of the agency's programs, policies, and activities on people of color and people who have low incomes to achieve an equitable distribution of benefits and burdens. This includes the full and fair participation by all potentially affected communities in the transportation decision-making process through public involvement, as described below.

CTDOT understands that equity and environmental justice are essential to building a healthy and viable transportation network, and is fully committed to ensuring that its programs, policies, activities, projects, and public engagement processes promote and support equity and inclusion.

How is The Department Committed to Transportation Equity and Environmental Justice?

Currently the Connecticut Department of Transportation is engaged in various projects, programs, and initiatives aimed at advancing transportation equity throughout Connecticut.

Staff Education:

Key staff at CTDOT recently attended a Transit Equity and a Social Equity Learning Lab which were designed to equip transportation professionals with the tools needed to engage the public by gathering representative data to understand the needs of communities currently underserved by the transportation system. In addition, these labs helped the Department explore new ways of implementing equity metrics to ensure the active transportation network is accessible to everyone.

Public Involvement:

CTDOT is committed to conducting business in a transparent, accountable way. Currently CTDOT employs techniques that encourage and promote active and inclusive public participation; create opportunities for all residents, including underrepresented groups to participate in transportation planning activities in a meaningful way; and document our actions and the public comments received in a way that assures accountability. These procedures and best practices are described in the Department’s Public Involvement Procedures (PIP) guidance document. The PIP provides guidance, techniques, and examples for interacting, informing, and involving the public throughout the transportation planning process. This includes  outreach  during the Planning phase, as prescribed in the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and the Connecticut Environmental Policy Act (CEPA). Outreach is also conducted during the various design phases of transportation projects. Furthermore, the PIP plays an essential role in the development of public input procedures in planning documents such as the Statewide Long-Range Transportation Plan and the Statewide Transportation Improvement Program (STIP) Following this guidance not only ensures the involvement of the public, other state, federal and local agencies, and stakeholders, but also ensures that the legal requirements for public involvement are met, and that stakeholder and public expectations are managed appropriately. This collaboration allows for improved transportation decision-making in the State of Connecticut.

Environmental Justice:

In addition to The National Environmental Policy Act, the Department actively ensures that it follows the 1973 Connecticut Environmental Policy Act (CEPA). A CEPA assessment is required for each state agency action or sequence of actions undertaken by a state department, institution or agency that could have a major impact on the state's environmental, social, and/or economic resources. Under CEPA, the Department utilizes the appropriate Environmental Classification Document (ECD) to determine if a proposed project requires further evaluation or public scoping under CEPA, and if so, to determine the appropriate level of analysis proportionate to the scale of the proposed action’s potential impacts. The core purpose of CEPA is to provide a public process for state agencies to identify and assess the extent to which their proposed actions may potentially affect the environment, and to evaluate alternatives to avoid or minimize such impacts. A key component of the assessment process is the public’s opportunity to review the proposed state action and provide feedback. All Scoping Notices are published in the Environmental Monitor.

Community Connectivity Grants:

The Department recently launched a 3rd round of Community Connectivity Grants centered on Equity. The grant program was developed to provide funding for targeted infrastructure improvements that facilitate social and economic opportunities for underserved communities by providing equitable levels of access to safe and affordable transportation.

Public Transit:

Recently, the Department conducted virtual public hearings on rail service and fare changes that were previously made in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as the proposed elimination of the Mail & Ride fare media. These covered proposed service changes to CTtransit bus service and minor fare changes on two CTtransit Express bus routes. At these hearings, CTDOT provided information and accepted public comments on the service and fare proposals and the Service and Fare Equity (SAFE) analysis. The SAFE analysis evaluates the proposed changes to determine if they will cause a disparate impact to minority persons or a disproportionate burden to people with low incomes, as defined by the FTA Title VI circular.

Complete Streets:

Through its Complete Streets Policy, CTDOT considers the needs of all users of all abilities and ages in the planning, programming, design, construction, retrofit and maintenance of all roads and streets. The Department is committed to providing a safe, efficient transportation network which enhances quality of life and economic vitality. Complete Streets enhances safe access for all users by providing a comprehensive, integrated, connected multi-modal network of transportation options.

Accessibility:

In 2019 the Department updated its ADA Transition Plan which establishes a baseline and guidance for accessibility to Connecticut's transportation system with the goal of making transportation accessible to all users including those with disabilities. CTDOT understands the importance of well-designed accessible transportation facilities and is moving forward to ensure that best practices are being adopted in its designs.

Transit Oriented Development:

Transit Oriented Development (TOD) as defined by Section 13b-79o of the Connecticut General Statutes, refers to:

“the development of residential, commercial, and employment centers within one-half mile of walking distance of public transportation facilities, including rail and bus rapid transit and services, that meet transit supportive standards for land uses, built environment densities, and walkable environments, in order to facilitate and encourage the use of those services”.

Whether it is new construction, redevelopment, or small-scale infill development, a fundamental characteristic of TOD is that its physical form responds to - and is interrelated to - transit. The Connecticut Department of Transportation's (CTDOT) role in supporting TOD is to ensure that Connecticut's public transportation network and facilities support the State, regional, and municipal goals of providing mobility choice, encouraging economic development, and creating more livable, sustainable communities.

For more information on transportation equity and environmental justice, please visit the resources below.